Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Stoke City and
Bolton Wanderers at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday May 13, 2012, kick-off
15:00 BST.

Aware that their lead at Stoke counted for nought, due to QPR’s second-half surge at the Etihad Stadium, they began appealing to an imploding Manchester City side in a plaintive chorus of 'Blue Moon’.

But where City so spectacularly prevailed, Bolton Wanderers sadly folded, conceding a late penalty and confronting relegation after 11 unbroken years in the Premier League.

So directly did their fate hinge upon events at the Etihad that Bolton, players and fans alike, scarcely knew what to think all afternoon.

First-half despair gave way to half-time euphoria, as scorelines shifted in their favour, before a sullen resignation settled upon those in white as they became aware of QPR’s ascendancy.

Then, as news filtered through to the Potteries of Sergio Aguero’s extraordinary final flourish for City, there came bitter regret at how they had failed to take care of their side of business. But for goalkeeper Adam Bogdan’s slip in conceding a penalty 13 minutes from time, victory and top-flight survival would have been assured.

Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager, looked desolate, having spent all 90 minutes on the ragged edge of sanity.

Creditably, he had by turns cajoled and excoriated his players until the final whistle, never exhibiting negative body language while there was still chance of a reprieve. As the death knell sounded, though, the shattering impact of the drop was etched in his haggard features.

As protocol dictated, he strode over to the away end to salute the supporters, but there was no outbreak of wailing or mass hysteria.

Many of them had already left the Britannia, presuming that the theatre in Manchester had taken the task too far out of the reach.

While a banner proclaiming 'The Great Escape’ still clung to the seats in a forlorn statement of thwarted hope, the end, when it came, was hardly the greatest of shocks.

Bolton had clung like limpets to the bottom three for the majority of season, limited in their attacking outlets and incapable of the type of Wigan-esque resourcefulness that could have saved them late in the campaign.

A recent unravelling at the hands of Tottenham had given a portent of their demise, and this was the afternoon when the full grim reality came to pass.

Coyle’s side were disorganised in defence from the outset here. A Stoke City team with nothing but a record Premier League points haul left to play for ought to have been ripe for plunder, but instead Bolton found themselves in chaos in the early stages, allowing Ricardo Fuller to turn far too easily and unleash a shot that Bogdan tipped wide.

But his sense of grievance at the opening goal was palpable. First Matthew Etherington crossed for Jonathan Walters, who seemed to have miscued his first touch, before the Irish striker headed into Bogdan’s net apparently out of the Hungarian goalkeeper’s hands.

Coyle was incensed, berating the assistant referee for Chris Foy’s decision to let the goal stand. But such oaths were tame compared to the invective the Scot meted out to his men for their inability to deliver at so critical a moment.

Rapidly, they responded to their manager’s commands to attack, as Ivan Klasnic played in Mark Davies in a swift counter-attack.

The chance looked to have evaporated as Davies lost his footing, but Robert Huth cannoned his attempted clearance against the midfielder’s legs and the ball flew into the open goal.

Cue ecstasy in the Bolton end as their optimism was revived. Five minutes later, mayhem ensued, as their players suddenly seized the advantage.

Kevin Davies bungled his cross from the right but Thomas Sorensen, the Stoke goalkeeper, was badly exposed and inadvertently steered the ball goalwards at his near post.

Husbands embraced wives, fathers high-fived sons, as all in the Bolton section quite lost their heads in the pandemonium.

For 15 blissful minutes at the interval, those of a lilywhite persuasion could but dream. They would be let down, however, by their frailties at the back.

Three Stoke defenders were free at the far post when Etherington curled in a free-kick, and it was to Bolton’s relief that Ryan Shawcross mistimed his header.

But the sense of culpability would rest most acutely with Bogdan. Bringing down Peter Crouch, having done superbly to save the England forward’s first shot, he was helpless in giving away the penalty and watching Jonathan Walters’ kick sail past him for the decisive blow.

Desperation gripped Bolton, as Marvin Sordell slid a ball into the path of fellow substitute Lee Chong-yong, who sliced his volley behind.

A siege of the Stoke goal teed up Tim Ream from a Martin Petrov corner, but the midfielder’s header strayed too close to Sorensen and all chance of catharsis ebbed away.

Bolton contract chaos

Relegation from the Premier League could spark an exodus from Bolton with manager Owen Coyle and 11 players, including Kevin Davies, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Martin Petrov out of contract.

The loan spells of a further three players will also end, leaving the club with a potentially major squad rebuilding job as they work out how to cope with debts said to exceed £100 million while trying to win promotion from the Championship at the first attempt.